


David and the Crystal Gems in... David's Room

by jbhughes54enwiler



Series: David and the Crystal Gems [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Major Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Original Character-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21805834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jbhughes54enwiler/pseuds/jbhughes54enwiler
Summary: Between Day 3 and the Epilogue of Redemption from a Dark World, David attempts to move out of Steven's house, but can't find anywhere in Beach City, so Steven tries to lodge him in Little Homeworld.  David is a fish out of water in this all-Gem town, and hijinks ensue.  Will David be able to find a permanent home for himself?  Stay tuned.
Series: David and the Crystal Gems [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571290
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	David and the Crystal Gems in... David's Room

David and the Crystal Gems in… David’s Room

  
Amethyst: So are we going to keep David on the couch forever, or what?

Pearl: (Folding Steven’s laundry) Huh… I completely forgot about that. How long have we been having him sleep on it? He is an adult, perhaps we should find him his own place to live in.

  
David walks in.

David: Hey Pearl, Amethyst. What’s up?

Pearl: Were were talking about arranging proper living quarters for you.

David: Of course! I was wondering when I’d be getting my own place, but Beach City is still a little unfamiliar to me. I was worried I wouldn't be able to find a good apartment or house.

Pearl: Well, we’re kinda in the same boat. We’ve never been house shopping before. Greg should be able to help us, though.

Almost by magic, Greg, walked into the house.

Greg: Hey, Pearl, I need some help with my van.

Pearl: Oh, Greg, your timing is perfect. We need your help as well.

Greg: What kind of help? You know I’m not good with your Gem stuff.

Pearl: Nothing of the sort. We need you to assist David in finding a house.

Greg: A house… As in you want me to help David find a place to live?

Pearl: Exactly.

Greg: Well, I suppose there is the classifieds; let me go get a newspaper from the Big Donut.

Greg leaves for his van. About 15 minutes later, he returns.

Greg: Here. (hands David the newspaper) Have you ever read the classified ads before, David?

David: I had a lesson on it in high school. My 12th grade year had a required course on independent living.

Greg: Perfect. This here’s the Beach City Gazette. Try finding a place you can easily afford.

David leafs through the paper and finds an apartment on the other side of town.

David: Let’s try this one.

Greg: OK then, let’s go take a look at it.

Greg and David hop in the van and drive to a small apartment unit. They get out and look around. The property is clearly not in good condition. 

Greg: Sheesh, this place looks really run down.

David: This was the only place I could find in the paper that I could afford.

Greg: Actually, this won’t work anyway. (Points to a sign on the window) Look, the place’s already rented.

David: (Sighs) We’ll have to keep looking then.

They get back into the van and drive back to the beach house, and David enters alone. Steven is now home from helping Gems in Little Homeworld. No one else is present.

Steven: So I heard you’re moving out. Any luck in finding a good place to live?

David: I found one place, but it’s in bad shape and it’s already rented.

Steven: Bummer. Beach City is a pretty good place to live, so a lot of places are full. Hmmm… (Thinks to himself) Wait, there’s one place in this area that always has openings.

David: And that would be…

Steven: Little Homeworld! It’ll be awesome!

David: Steven, I’m not a Gem!

Steven: That’s fine, we can make it work. Just spend one night there and see if you like it!

David: I really don’t know about this but… I trust you, Steven. Let’s do it tonight.

Steven: It’s a deal!

Steven drives David to Little Homeworld…

Steven: Hey guys! We’ve got a new resident!

Calcite: Ooh, what kind of Gem is she?

Steven: (His face kinda wilts as he realizes what he’s doing) He’s… Not a Gem at all. David? Come out of the car. (David nervously steps out of Steven’s vehicle)

Calcite: A human!? Steven, are you sure this is the right place for him? I mean, they have a whole city to themselves!

Steven: Don’t be like that, Calcite! He has nowhere else to go, and Little Homeworld welcomes everyone!

Moss Agate: Yeah! This’ll be so much fun! Our own little human to play with! (David immediately has very uncomfortable flashbacks of his world’s Rose Quartz, causing him to grimace with discomfort)

Steven: (Sees David’s face, and whispers to him) Just one night, OK? (David nods)

Cherry Quartz: So… Where we putting him?

Steven: Well, who wants David to live with them?

The Gems look amongst themselves, until Larimar raises her hand.

Steven: Little Larimar! You sure you can handle him?

Larimar: Of course! I will take good care of the human.

Steven: (To David) Go with her.

David: Steven, this really isn’t sounding right.

Steven: Just give her a chance. She might seem odd, but she really likes humans.

David nervously follows Larimar through the streets of Little Homeworld to a squat hut painted the same blue as Larimar’s gemstone.

Larimar: Here is my wonderful little home. I hope you like it, brown-haired pale human.

David: (Taken aback by Larimar’s “name” for him) Please call me David.

Larimar: Of course, you humans go by personalized names instead of your type. I am still learning how to interact with your species. Forgive me.

David: (Now feeling a little sorry for her) No need to apologize. This is new for me too.

Larimar: But you already live with Gems.

David: True, but Pearl, Garnet, Steven, and the others are more experienced with humans. Anyway, let’s go inside.

Larimar: Agreed.

The inside of Larimar’s home is filled with ice sculptures and not much else.

David: Umm… Where do I sleep?

Larimar: Where do you what…? Oh, right. That thing humans do when they rest at night. You can sleep… Over there. (Points to the floor in the corner of the house’s single room)

David: The floor? Well, I guess I should have expected that.

Larimar: What do you mean?

David: Well, normally humans sleep on soft structures called “beds,” but since this place is designed for Gems, I guess there wouldn’t be one here.

Larimar: You are correct, this is a home for Gems.

David: (Sighs)

Larimar: (Looks at David, and also sighs)

David: (Looks questioningly at Larimar)

Larimar: (Sees David’s look) To live with humans, I must understand humans.

David: That’s good thinking, but you don’t need to imitate everything I’m doing. Anyway… I’m going to go get something to eat.

Larimar: I have plenty of snow cones in storage!

David: That’s a nice thought, but us humans can’t survive on just ice. (Takes a warp whistle out of his pocket) And I can go practically anywhere on the planet for food.

Larimar: A whistle… For warp pads! I haven’t seen one of those in ages. The Crystal Gems must really trust you.

David: (Smugly grinning) Indeed they do.

15 minutes later, in Mexico…

David: ¿Me gustaría un burrito?

Taco Stand Owner: Sí. Cinco pesos por favor.

David: (Hands over 5 pesos he just had converted in a Mexican bank)

Taco Stand Owner: Gracias. (Goes to his kitchen to prepare the food)

Minutes later...

David: (Eating the burrito) Sorry Mira Aquí, these burritos are mucho mejores.

Ten minutes later…

David arrives by warp pad back in Little Homeworld, still holding part of the burrito. A gathering of Gems had assembled around the warp, waiting for him to return. David is caught off guard by all the Gems surrounding him.

David: Uhhh…. Can I help you guys?

Moss Agate: Where’d you go?

Calcite: What’s that thing in your hand?

Cherry Quartz: How did you use the warp pad?

David: (Decides to take things in stride) I went to Mexico, this is a burrito, a classic Mexican food product, and thanks to the power of warp whistles, I can use pretty much any warp pad.

Everyone: Wow!

Moss Agate: So, we have so many questions we’d like to ask. Here’s mine: what’s it like being a human?

David: (Bewildered) That’s a REALLY difficult question to answer. (Sits down on the edge of the warp) It’s nice. I’ve always felt at home with myself. Steven told me the Crystal Gems, especially Rose Quartz, wanted to protect us because unlike most Gems at the time, we had the power to change. Change our roles, our jobs, our outlook on life. Even our bodies are constantly evolving. So I guess being human feels kinda… Comfortable.

Everyone is enthralled.

Bixbite: So that’s why Rose turned into Steven! She wanted to be more comfortable!

David: Uhh, I’m sure her reasoning was MUCH more complex than that…

Bixbite: What’s eating feel like?

David: Well, I’m told Gems can shape-shift the necessary organs for eating, so all of you can definitely experience that for yourselves. Don’t ask me the specifics though. Amethyst would be much better explaining how to make yourself a stomach and stuff.

Before David can react, Bixbite swipes the leftover burrito out of David’s hands.

David: Hey!

Bixbite takes a huge bite out of the burrito. She immediately goes star-eyed.

Bixbite: Oh my stars, this. Is. AMAZING!! (She quickly scarfs down the rest of the burrito)

David: (Both angry his food got stolen and concerned that Bixbite won’t be able to properly digest it) Oh CRUD… (Gets up, whips out his phone and dials Steven)

Steven: Hey, David, what’s up? How are the Gems treating you?

David: (Voice comically high-pitched from nervousness) Hi, little bro Steven! Hey, I kinda made a short trip to Mexico for dinner and Bixbite here decided to eat some of my food from there? I don’t think she knows how to make a digestive system, so is it a bad thing she ate something?? 

Steven: (Thinking in his head: Uh-oh, he’s gone falsetto. That’s never a good sign) Uhh… I’ll bring Amethyst over. Be right there, OK?

David: (*Still falsetto*) OK, see you soon!

Moss Agate: Woah, I didn’t know humans could raise their voices like that!

David: (Very nervous) Yeah, that’s kinda a thing we do, you know, when we--

Bixbite siezes over with sickness. Seconds later, Steven and Amethyst warp in.

Amethyst: Hang on, Bixbite! I got you! (Rushes over) Here’s what you gotta do… (Whispers instructions on forming a digestive system to Bixbite)

Bixbite creates a digestive system within herself and her sickness subsides.

Steven: Whew, that was a close one. David, why did you feed Bixbite?

David: I didn’t! She swiped the food out of my hands!

Bixbite: Yes, I did. I’m sorry, David.

Steven: That explains it. Did you really go all the way to Mexico for food?

David: Yep.

Amethyst: Wow, that’s some dedication. Just remember to use that warp whistle responsibly. No joy rides across the globe, okay?

David: I know the rules. And I won’t go offworld without you guys either.

Steven: Good. Anyway, the Sun’s beginning to set, so I gotta go get dinner myself. Oh, and Gems? (Everyone listens in) Next class in Little Homeschool is going to be how to make digestive systems for human foods. I don’t want anything like this happening again.

All Gems: Got it!

Steven: Alright. I’m out. See you guys!

All Gems: Bye! (Exit Steven and Amethyst)

Bixbite: I want to eat more. Can you take me to Mexico, David?

David: Uhh… I don’t know about that… For one thing, they speak a different language there.

All Gems: They do!?

David: Yeah, depending on what part of Earth you’re in, humans speak all sorts of different languages.

Cherry Quartz: What languages do you know, David?

David: Well… My first, “native” language is English, but I also know Spanish and a little German.

Moss Agate: That’s so cool! Speak a different language! I want to hear what it sounds like!

David: Uhhh… ¡Hola! ¡Me llamo David!

Calcite: Ooh! What was that?

David: I said “Hi! My name’s David,” in Spanish.

Everyone is amazed. Just then, Larimar enters the crowd.

Larimar: Ah, David! You’re back from your food-gathering mission! And I see you’re interacting with your new friends!

Moss Agate: This human is amazing! No wonder Rose Quartz wanted us to save them; they’re all so cool!

David: (Blushes) Wow, uhh, thanks? I mean, I’m not that special.

Calcite: By the way, where’s your sword? Don’t you always carry it around?

David: I… Don’t have it today. And probably for good reason. I don’t want to scare any of you guys.

Calcite: Aww, man! But I wanted to spar with you! (Pulls a small flail out of her Gem, causing David to become a little frightened)

Just then, Bismuth comes to the front of the crowd.

Bismuth: Absolutely not! For one thing, we don’t fight humans, even for fun, and for another, David’s sword isn’t like any other sword. It’s capable of slicing straight through a Gem, even shattering one.

Everyone: WHAT!?

Bixbite: David can shatter us!?

Bismuth: That’s not what I meant, people! What I meant is that you shouldn’t take sparring with David lightly. He’s really good with that sword of his.

David: And in any case, I would never shatter a Gem. Only reason the sword is made that way is because… Well…

Moss Agate: Well? Why do you have a shattering sword?

Bismuth: David isn’t from around here. In fact, he’s not even native to this dimension.

Everyone is shocked.

Bixbite: But he’s human! He has to be from Earth!

David: I AM from Earth… Just not this one… The one I come from… Well…

Bismuth: David’s version of Earth was taken over by the Diamonds. He lived a terrible life there, and nearly died on several occasions.

Now everyone looks sorry for David.

Calcite: You poor thing!

David: My sword is made that way because in the world I come from, every fight was a fight to the death. Thankfully, I never had to fight, so I never shattered anyone. In any case, I never fight Gems. If I have to, I’m very careful. And there’s only two reasons why I’d attack you. First, if you pose a direct threat to my life, and second, if you REALLY make me angry.

Moss Agate: I see.

Bismuth: Anyway, David, what are you doing here this late? Don’t you have to go back to Steven’s place?

David: Well, I’m trying to move out on my own, but there’s no places I can afford in Beach City, and Steven thought it would be a good idea for me to try living here.

Bismuth: (Very confused face) That’s a really dumb idea. I don’t know what Steven was thinking.

Calcite: That’s OK, we love having him here!

David: Uhh, anyway, I’m going to go warp somewhere and buy a sleeping bag for Larimar’s place. See you guys! (Walks onto the warp pad and warps to a mall in California, which is the only warp pad he knows that’s close to a mall)

David walked through the Californian mall and eventually found a camping supply store. He browsed the aisles until he found a comfortable-looking bag and he took it to the register.

Camping Store Employee: Going on a trip? I know some really beautiful camping spots north of here.

David: It’s actually for a sleepover at a friend’s place. We’re having a party for the beginning of the Summer Olympics. But I’ll keep that suggestion in mind.

Camping Store Employee: That’s cool. That’ll be $57.

David pays with his debit card and leaves the mall for the warp pad. Soon he’s back in Little Homeworld. This time, the Gems aren’t surrounding the warp, and he goes straight back to Larimar’s house. Inside he notices it’s really cold due to all the ice inside. Since he’s wearing summer clothes, he begins to shiver. Larimar notices this and comes over to him.

Larimar: Why are you shaking like that? There’s nothing to be afraid of here.

David: I’m not scared. It’s just that it’s kinda chilly in here and I have a lot of thin clothing on. I’ll be fine if I go into this sleeping bag I just bought. (Begins to unfurl the bag from its storage pack)

Larimar: Humans start shaking like they’re scared if it’s cold…. Interesting.

David: (Still fumbling with the sleeping bag) It’s so our bodies can generate friction to stay warm.

Larimar: Fascinating. But it would be inhospitable for me to have this room so cold that your body needs to activate a defense mechanism. I will turn on the heating systems.

David: No need to do that, it’ll melt all your beautiful sculptures and I don’t want that to happen!

Larimar: But I don’t want my human companion to be uncomfortable in his own home.

David: It’s OK, Larimar, I’ll be fine.

Larimar: Very well.

David lays his sleeping bag on the floor in the corner, and unzips it. He slips into the sleeping bag and zips himself in.

Larimar: What a curious contraption. Is that what you will be slumbering inside? 

David: Yep. And please don’t bother me when I’m sleeping, we humans don’t like that. Also, could you turn out the lights? We usually sleep better in the dark.

Larimar: Of course. (Flips the light switch) Good night, David.

David: Good night, Larimar. (Closes his eyes, and ten minutes later, he falls asleep)

David awakens and notices it’s still dark outside. He also notices a weight on his body. He looks down his sleeping bag and notices Larimar is on his stomach, looking straight at him.

Larimar: Your body is so warm…

David: Ahh!! Larimar, get off of me!!

Larimar: Okay. (Stands up) You have a wonderful scream, by the way.

David is extremely weirded out.

David: I’m… Going to go use the bathroom.

Larimar: Use the what?

David: (His face sinks when he realizes what that means) Larimar, this house DOES have a bathroom, right?

Larimar: What’s a bathroom?

David: Arrgh!! (Runs out of the house)

David looks desperately for a public bathroom and finds none. He curses to himself and runs behind a house where a large bush lies. The camera cuts to the front of the house.

Cherry Quartz: (From behind the home) Are you okay? Why are you leaking fluid into this bush?

David: AHHHHH!! (Quickly zips up his cargo shorts and runs back into the square.

Bismuth is strolling through the square when David rushes straight into her. Being as sturdy as Bismuth is, she doesn’t even flinch at being collided with by a human running at top speed.

Bismuth: Hey, watch where you’re goi- Oh, it’s you, David. Why are you up so early in the morning? (Now notices that David is blushing profusely and has a somewhat panicked look in his eyes) What happened?

David: You don’t wanna know.

Larimar walks into the square, with a confused face.

Larimar: Was this my fault? Did I not do a good job of taking care of the human?

David’s heart breaks.

David: Larimar… No, that’s not what’s going on at all… You did a wonderful job. Don’t blame yourself for this.

Enter Cherry Quartz.

Cherry Quartz: Dude, something’s really wrong with David. He was totally spewing fluid all over a bush behind my house!

David’s face turns bright cherry red.

Bismuth: ...I see what’s going on here. You two, Larimar, Cherry, over here.

The two Gems walk over to Bismuth.

Bismuth: First off, what David was doing was completely natural. Second, this may have been my fault. When I designed Little Homeworld, I didn’t have human visitors in mind. ‘Cause of that, I didn’t include facilities that a human would need to function, like kitchens and bathrooms. I definitely was NOT anticipating Steven making a human a permanent resident. David doesn’t deserve to be forced to live in a place that’s not built for him. BUT, there’s a better way. I have an idea that’ll fix this up perfectly.

Cherry Quartz: And that is…

Bismuth: I’m going to build David his own home. There’s one problem though; Little Homeworld just isn’t a place where a human can thrive. He needs to be closer to other humans. Unfortunately, I can’t just put up a random house within Beach City limits. The permits alone would take forever. But there’s one place in just the perfect location. I’ll just need Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst’s approval first.

David: You don’t mean?

Bismuth: There’s enough room off to the side of Steven’s beach house for another addition. I’ll just build a separate bedroom there. David gets his own living quarters, made the human way, and everyone’s happy.

David: Really? Are you sure it’s okay for me to live with the OG Gems permanently?

Bismuth: You’re just as much a Crystal Gem as any of us, kid. Pearl, Garnet, Amethyst, and Steven each have their own magical little room, so it’s high time you got your own. Design-wise… How about a small beach hut? It’ll blend in with the existing house and have its own little flair. I’ll connect it with the porch on the first level. I’ll even build furniture for it.

David’s eyes are sparkling with joy.

David: It’ll be perfect… Thank you Bismuth!

Bismuth: Don’t thank me yet, the job hasn’t even started! Let’s wait until morning, then we’ll warp over to Steven’s place and talk up the plan with ‘em. In the meantime, I’ll draw up blueprints. See ya at dawn. (Exit Bismuth)

Moss Agate and Calcite had arrived a bit before and had been listening to Bismuth’s speech.

Moss Agate: So… You’re leaving us?

David: I guess so. You Gems have a wonderful place here, but like Bismuth said, it’s not really a place where humans can thrive. It just wasn’t built that way.

Calcite: Well, I kinda saw this coming anyway. Humans are fun to be around, but to have to live with one isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You’ll still visit us though, right?

David: Of course. Maybe I’ll even show up at Little Homeschool to help teach you guys how humans work.

Moss Agate: That’ll be awesome! I mean, Amethyst, Steven, and Pearl do a good job with the school, but to have a real, live human to educate us on themselves would be amazing!

David: Uh, don’t completely count Steven out of the human party. He may have a Gem, but he’s just like us too!

Moss Agate: Uhh, right. Sorry about that.

David: Anyway, I guess I’ll go wait for dawn to meet up with Bismuth. Larimar? Would you be able to let me back into your home for just a couple more hours?

Larimar: Of course, David. My doors will always be open to you.

David and Larimar walk back to the Larimar household.

David: You know, Larimar, one of those snow cones would sound really good about now.

Larimar: Really? I’ll be happy to make you one.

Inside the house…

David: Wow, these are REALLY good! Have you thought about selling them? You could make some money off of them!

Larimar: I will take your words into consideration.

Two hours later…

David: Bye, Larimar! Thanks for everything!

Larimar: Thank you as well, David! You have given me valuable insights into the human lifestyle! Oh, what about your slumbering pouch?

David: Keep it. In case another human needs a place to stay at your place.

Larimar: Very well. Go catch up with Bismuth. She doesn’t like to be kept waiting!

  
David ran up to the warp pad and found Bismuth there, holding a roll of paper with the plans for David’s room on it.

Bismuth: It’s 7:30. Steven should be up by now. You ready?

David: I’m just really hoping they’re okay with me living with them.

Bismuth: I’m pretty well-trusted among the OG Gems, David. They’ll listen to what I have to say. Let’s go.

David and Bismuth stepped onto the warp pad and teleported to the ground-floor warp inside the Crystal Temple entrance. Pearl noticed them warp in and walked over.

Pearl: What happened?

Bismuth: Steven’s plan to have David live with us backfired. Little Homeworld really isn’t a place for humans to live. I have a plan though. Take a look at these. (Unfurls the blueprints) It’s a hut we can add to the side of the house here. It’ll have electricity, air conditioning, and heating, though we will probably have to have David use the main bathroom here, since it would be too difficult to work pipes over to it.

Pearl: (Somewhat skeptical) You want David to live with us?

Bismuth: David’s kinda like Steven, Pearl. Too attached to Gemkind to live solely among humans, and too human to live only with Gems. David’s a Crystal Gem, and we need to treat him like one.

Garnet: (Appearing seemingly out of thin air) She’s right, Pearl. We can’t just kick David out of our house. If David is fine with having a room at the Temple, which I already know he is, then let’s add him to the family.

Amethyst also appears.

Amethyst: Yeah, guys! He’s got no other family than us! Rose herself took care of this kid, even if it wasn’t OUR Rose. That’s gotta count for something!

Pearl: Well, fine. But let’s let Steven know what’s going on.

Steven: (Had been eavesdropping from the stairs) Way ahead of you, Pearl! I shouldn’t have forced David to live in Little Homeworld in any case. What EXACTLY happened to trigger this anyway?

David: No bathrooms.

Steven: Really? I could have sworn there was a porta-potty somewhere in there. Never mind. That was REALLY misguided of me to put you there, and I’m sorry.

David: No offense taken. But I would like to help you and the others teach the Little Homeworlders how to deal with humans, just so this doesn’t happen again.

Pearl: That sounds like a great idea! Having a full-blooded human on the teaching staff will really help our lessons in human-Gem relations have an extra punch!

Bismuth: So it’s a deal, then? Should I start work on the addition?

Pearl: Go right ahead, Bismuth. Get Greg and other Gems to help you too so it gets finished faster. In the meantime, until the hut’s completion, I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the couch at all, David?

David: Not at all. I honestly miss that thing. Having to sleep on the floor in an ice-cold Gem house was NOT my cup of tea.

Pearl: Very well. Anyway, let’s get you and Steven some breakfast.

Skip half a month, and David’s room is completed. It is a single room with a full-size wooden bed, two nightstands on each side of it, a small flat-panel television Greg bought for David standing on a long table next to the door, and a dresser with a full-size mirror off to the side of said dresser. David walks into the new bedroom, holding a small picture frame in his hand. WIth a reverent smile on his face, he sets it down on the left-side nightstand, and sits down on the bed. The camera zooms in on the frame. Inside is the picture of his mother he had brought with him from his world.


End file.
